OYSTER BAR (AT PALACE STATION): No one comes here, it’s too crowded.

Yes, they serve oysters at the Oyster Bar at Palace Station. They’re fine. They’re somewhat expensive so if you’re into spending money to gamble on your well being (you’re in a Vegas casino so who isn’t AMIRITE) then you’ve come to the right place.

HOWEVER.

This place makes a bomb-ass pan roast. What is a pan roast you might ask?

THIS GODDAMMIT

A big bowl of spicy seafood, tomato, and cream stew with a big scoop of rice on top. It’s really hard to describe how satisfying and comforting a bowl of this can be without having experienced it. I don’t know why this place makes such a good dish but it does and I’m not going to question their methods.

But I digress.

“Uh, table for two?” “LOL”

This is the Oyster Bar, right next to a couple banks of slot machines. There are less than 20 seats at the bar and it takes approximately an hour or longer to order, get your food, eat, pay and leave so you can end up waiting quite a long time. I’ve seen a 30 person line before which took around 2-3 hours to get seated from the very back. This place is CRAZY popular on the weekends around 1-2 AM. If you want to experience it, best choose when you’ve been out all night around 8 AM or go for lunch because this shit is seriously crazy. So crazy, in fact, they actually disconnected their phone because they got tired of answering how long the wait is.

Though the options look numerous, the best stuff is simple and straightforward. We got a pan roast (also try the gumbo. VERY good gumbo), white chowder, and my incorrigible colleague got a dozen oysters. They can make the pan roast or gumbo as spicy as you like and the spice adds a LOT of flavor so feel free to order an 8 or a 9 if you’re feeling brave. Fair warning, the chefs have different spice levels so some of them have a 6 that’s pretty mild and some have a 4 that can make your lips tingle.

I wanted to say the world’s first steampunk restaurant but I know that isn’t true.

One of the reasons this place takes so long is the way they make the food. They have 6 steel pots that are heated by super high pressure steam systems. They only have enough power to heat 3 of them and it takes a bit to clean them, so they can usually only make 3 pan roasts at a time. But damned if it ain’t worth it. Trust me though, once you’re sitting and waiting on your food, it can feel like an eternity.

I suppose I should say something about the oysters.

They only taste about 60% as good as they look.

*sigh*

They’re fine. They’re nothing to write home about. Oysters that are too big get tough and have a really weird texture with the abductor muscle that isn’t readily apparent with smaller ones. These were pretty big and kind of tough so I can’t really recommend spending $20 on a dozen of them. But if you love oysters then splitting a dozen with friends before you get some pan roasts isn’t too bad an idea.

However, the chowder…

IT’S CHOWDAH.

This bowl was deceptively big, by the way. A big bowl of delicious clam chowder full of seafood and made of what I think is probably the best broth I’ve had in a white chowder. A lot of chowders skimp on the clams and go heavy on potatoes but this place has the ratio pretty perfect. Great for someone who isn’t too hungry for a pan roast but wants something hot and delicious. Or you can just get a cup of the chowder anyway.

UN-DIGRESS.

I’M BACK BITCHES

Combo Pan Roast. Shrimp, Crab and Lobster. $24, but to most humans it’s enough to bring some home with you. And may I just say that this might be the most reheatable dish I’ve ever had. Even if you just have a microwave, this tastes just as good if not better the day after you get it here. Soup is a wonderful thing.

$70 for two people at 4 AM on some random weekday. Not the cheapest option available, but probably one of the best and you leave stuffed. I’d say it’s close to a must try. You get your money’s worth.